Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1890 — A CRUEL COMMANDER. [ARTICLE]

A CRUEL COMMANDER.

The ship of war Enterprise arrived at New York on the 27th, after an absence at European stations of two years and seven months. The vessel left the navy yard in Brooklyn with a well selected crew and officers, picked out by Captain McCalla himself. She returned the most unhappy ship, probably, that ever came into port. In the course of the cruise desertions had been frequent, and nearly every officer in the ward room had been under suspension one or many times. Tho life aboard the Enterprise for officers aud men was described by one of her ship’s company Friday as having been one continual round of “hell.” The commander i 3 charged with tho severest cruelty to both officers and men. This incident Is given of Thanksgiving day last: The Enterprise was lying at Gibraltar, and the men and officers expected a holiday. Instead, the ship went over to the African coast and landed thfe marine guard on the beach for drill, while the blue jackets on board amused themselves with target practice. A storm came up and a boat was sent ashore to take off the men. The boat was capsized in the surf and washed ashore with its crew. At 7 o’clock that night, some food having been floated ashore on a catamaran to the men on the beach, the captain signaled them from tho ship to march to Ceuta, the nearest town, some fifteen miles distant. Tho Enterprise then sot sail for Gibraltar. Lieutenant White was in ohargeof the marines, Lieut. Kline had been in chargo of the boat’s crew that had been washed ashore, and being a line offloer he took command. The way to Ceuta lay through an unknown country, inhabited only by roving banditti. There was no guide to Do procured and tho Americans had not a single round of ammunition. Thore were thirty-four mpn in tho party and about 3,000 pieces of bag gage which they had been signaled to take with them. Added to this was the danger of approaching a settlement such as Ceuta in the night, for thore is a large penal coir ony 6f Spaniards at that place. The two lieutenants decided to erect what "shelter they could for the men and stay where they were lor the night. The next morning the Enterprise proceeded ta Ceuta, aud not finding the men there, went back tc thS beach, wnere sho found them. Captain McCalla took the men on bound, and imme diabely placed White and Kline, under suspension. As from first to last ever} officer on the ship had been under suspension, this was not considered remarkable